Young Writers Society

I don't know if this is the right section to put this, please correct me if I'm wrong .

So I'm in the process of researching for a novel that will be set in Ireland. It will be a fictional book involving faery folklore. The only problem is I don't know very much about Ireland, except that it's windy, has lots of rocks and the Catholics and Protestants don't get along so well.

If anyone has ever been there or knows a lot about Irish culture and geography I would love to ask some questions. Alternately, if you know of a website that is full of info on the country I would be thrilled.

I already know quite a bit about the folklore part of the story, I just need to know about the culture and where the setting of the story should be. It takes place mostly in a mysterious wood near a small town. If you know of a place in Ireland that fits this description please share it with me. Thanks!

-Lauren

We have a number of Irish members, so I would advise either re-titling the thread with an indication for them to see, or going to Celtic Fairy Tale group/club. Stella is one Irish member I can think of off the top of my head.

Thanks for the advice!

Is this a modern novel or does it take place in the past?

If it's modern:
- The roads in Ireland are SCARY. They are tiny and twisty. Traffic accidents are one of the leading causes of death.
- Ireland is one of the leading tea-drinking countries in the world. (More cups per capita than England)
- There are lots of Polish immigrants. However, Ireland is currently having a major economic crash, so lots of the Polish people are going back home.
- A lot of people still have major IRA pride.
- It is almost always rainy/cloudy/foggy/overcast
- All high school students have to learn gaelic, but no one speaks it anymore
- There's a plant called fuschia (because of it's colour) that grows EVERYWHERE

Hope this helps?

This is perfect! Exactly what I'm looking for! And yes, the story will be modern. Thanks so much!

If your story is taking place in the Republic of Ireland, there's still a really strong sense of nationalism there. Gaelic isn't called Gaelic, it's called Irish. Most of the signs are bi-lingual, even more so than in Wales. They're intensely proud of their music. The harp is the national instrument from ages back when bards traveled from court to court singing the praises of kings. (Seriously...harps are a big deal. Dublin has a bridge shaped like one.) I really enjoyed the over-all atmosphere while I was there. Oh, and there are cattle and sheep EVERYWHERE. I also think it's pretty telling that the Irish security guards at the airport feel comfortable making jokes about security to you as your bags are being scanned. That was surreal.

*Moved to Ask an Expert*

Writer's Corner is more for talking about your projects, while Ask an Expert is for research questions. ^^

First off, is the story set in the Republic or Northern Ireland? I don't mean to be calling you ignorant, but I've met many people who don't actually know that Ireland, the island, is actually two seperate countries with entirely different cultures.

There's not cattle and sheep everywhere, that is another common stereotype. -.- Also, there's more than just the IRA in the south, and no matter where you go you have to be very careful when you talk about such paramilitary groups (Therefore, there is not a sense of 'pride' previously mentioned. Pride wouldn't be the word for it. People don't really talk about it that much.)

It's not a religious problem between protestant and catholics anymore. It's become more political concerning unionists and nationalists and Ireland's fight for independence, etc. It's a complicated history, I won't even begin to go through it xD

As for the Polish, it was more in the North than the South that you saw the boom of people. We had some italians as well, but most of these left over six years ago. There was lots of hostility regarding their taking of jobs, and that was the primary reason why they left, not the recession.

Our education system is pretty different too. We've got high schools and grammar schools, and up until two years ago you had to take a test at the end of primary school called the transfer test. The grades were D, C2, C1, B2, B1, and A. Grammar schools take the top 25% of children in NI into their schools, while the rest go to the highs.

I can give you loads more information about it if you'd like, but I'd reccommend you don't set your story here. We have all sorts of weird mannerisms (For example, we make fun of each other and call each other names for fun. It's a part of normal conversation xD) and not to mention that gritty accent. Not much will make sense if you're not from here; we've got a complicated and intricate culture that would be hard to replicate.

Good luck!

-Moo, resident of NI

I just sent you a PM offering my services- I'm good with my Irish culture, and I also speak near-fluent Irish if you want any help with that.